Zghorta Dance bettered a Sept. 22 debut third at Bordeaux-le-Bouscat by closing her juvenile campaign with a brace of wins at Deauville Oct. 21 and Dec. 2, and returned this term to run second in a Mar. 10 conditions heat on the artificial surface here. Fresh from earning black type when third in the Apr. 24 Listed Prix Finlande over this course and distance, she dictated for most of this pattern-race bow to claim a career high in this trial for the June 19 G1 Prix de Diane. The chestnut assumed an early stalking role and seized the initiative after the early exchanges. Scrubbed along approaching the final quarter mile, she found plenty of reserves and was ridden out in the closing stages to maintain a comfortable buffer on the chasing pack. “Zghorta Dance comes from a family that has always been very dear to Mr [Issam] Fares, tracing back to [third dam] Miss Alleged, so he will be delighted to hear he's won another group race with a member of the family,” commented the owner's representative Adrien Rambault. “She had good form at two and had twice run well this year, especially last time when she was third in the Prix Finlande and the form of that race has turned out well. She is in the [June 19 G1] Prix de Diane and [trainer] Jean-Claude Rouget will make the decision whether to run or not.” The winner's second dam, the stakes-winning G3 Prix Cleopatre third Zghorta (Gone West), is a daughter of MGISW champion and GI Breeders' Cup Turf heroine Miss Alleged (Alleged), herself a half-sister to the dam of Grade I performers Captain Valid (Valid Appeal) and Final Connection (Alleged). Zghorta Dance is kin to the 2-year-old filly Zghorta Ride (Fr) (Rajsaman {Fr}) and a yearling colt by Air Chief Marshal (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Friday, Chantilly, France
PRIX VANTEAUX-G3, €80,000, CHY, 5-20, 3yo, f, 9fT, 1:57.46, vsf.
1–#@ZGHORTA DANCE (FR), f, 3, by Le Havre (Ire)
1st Dam: Ana Zghorta (GB), by Anabaa
2nd Dam: Zghorta, by Gone West
3rd Dam: Miss Alleged, by Alleged
O-Ecurie I M Fares; B-Haras de Manneville (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget; J-Ioritz Mendizabal. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-2, €84,450. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Azaelia (Fr), 126, f, 3, Turtle Bowl (Ire)–Azalee (Ire), by Peintre Celebre. (€27,000 Ylg '14 AROCT). O-Ecurie Brillantissime, Bernard Benaych & Chauvigny Global Equine; B-Haras de Beauvoir (FR); T-Simone Brogi. €16,000.
3–Dourdana (Fr), 126, f, 3, Exceed and Excel (Aus)–Dardania (GB), by Dalakhani (Ire). O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (FR); T-Alain de Royer-Dupre. €12,000.
Margins: 2, SHD, 1HF. Odds: 3.60, 5.20, 1.50.
Also Ran: Asterina (GB), Hiort (Ire), Valenka (Ger). Scratched: Maquette.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
